The American badger (Taxidea taxus) is a North American badger, somewhat similar in appearance to the European badger, although not closely related. It is found in the western and central United States, northern Mexico, and south-central Canada to certain areas of southwestern British Columbia. The American badger's habitat is typified by open grasslands with available prey such as mice, squirrels, groundhogs, prairie dogs and rabbits. The species prefers areas such as prairie regions with sandy loam soils where it can dig more easily for its prey. It is an extremely talented burrower, allowing to both hunt prey in tunnels and to construct its own holes to live in. They are usually nocturnal, but can be awake during the day if need be. They have sometimes been seen working together with a coyote to block both ends of a ground squirrel burrow so that at least one of them will catch it. The American Badger is considered the most important predator of diamondback rattlesnakes in South Dakota.
